From Cousin Betsy

OUTBACK SHRIMP dipping sauce:    Whenever we have gone to Outback we often order their coconut shrimp appetizer. One day I came across a ‘copycat’ recipe for it.  And since we often have shrimp in our house I was happy to find it.  I have tweaked this one a tad since we aren’t big fans of horseradish.  It is so easy, even for me. Some recipes call for chili sauce, but not having that in pantry I used cocktail sauce for seafood. Yes, it has horseradish just not in huge amounts.  Ingredients:  1/2 cup orange marmalade, 2 tsp stone ground mustard, 1 tsp horseradish (I use 1 or 2 Tbsp cocktail sauce to taste), a dash of saltDirections:  combine all ingredients, whisk well and chill for 1 hour.  Note:  I increase the amounts to make a larger batch and store in fridge since we use it often.  Enjoy

Cucumbers in sour cream- From Tama

Makes 8 servings

You’ll need

1 Cup Chinese Vinegar

2 Tbsp Sugar

Dash of Pepper

1 tsp Salt

3 tsp fresh Dill Minced

4 Cucumbers

¼ cup of Vadalia Onion sliced very thin

In a bowl marinate all ingredients for 2 hours- Drain

Mix with Sour cream and serve.

PARIS-DAY 5- Oops! Forgot to post.

PARIS-DAY 5- Oops! Forgot to post.

DAY 5

Sunny day so we decided to walk to Notre Dame.

Because of the fire you can only walk around the church. It is still quite magnificent. We were told the restoration may take 10 years.

There is a museum in the area behind the cathedral.

It is called The Deportation Museum. Dedicated to the over 2 thousand Jews that were deported by the Nazis to Concentration Camps. It was important to see and very depressing at the same time.

 We then headed to the Marais, visited the St Gervais church and had some lunch after much wandering around. Then we made our way back to the Tuileries  which was bustling with people enjoying the spectacular weather.  This was an 8 mile walking day for us. Makes indulging in the boulangeries much easier.  We averaged 6 to 8 miles a day, thanks to some beautiful weather.

 We finished the day by walking to St Sulpice square for cognac by the big fountain, realizing our 5 days here zoomed by but every day was close to perfect.  Tomorrow it is back to NYC in time for a beautiful fall, the best time to be in the city.  

My Pre-show speech for NEBC

Good evening!

And welcome to the Wadsworth Atheneum Arts Center and The New England Ballet Collective’s premiere performance here.

My name is Christopher Fleming and I am one of the guest choreographers for this evening’s performance.

This theatre has an interesting history. The Wadsworth Atheneum helped bring the dance genius George Balanchine to America. And how the late, great choreographer almost chose Hartford — yes, Hartford — as the home base for his new American ballet company. 

I should mention that I am a former dancer with the New York City Ballet. Dancing both soloist and principal roles over 10 years with the company. But more about that later.

So it should be noted that this theatre was paramount in the development of dance in America. And that the theatre was the site of several world premieres of Mr. Balanchine’s ballets, one of the most famous being “Serenade”.

People may disagree over which of George Balanchine’s ballets is the greatest, but I don’t think there’s much contest over which one they feel the most tenderly toward. That would be “Serenade” (1934), set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, the first ballet Balanchine made in America. The piece is beautiful—stirring, sweeping—and at the same time a little odd. The heroine seems to die at the end, but you’re not quite sure.

Whether spectators know it or not, this ballet is also about what it’s like to have nothing. When Balanchine arrived in America, in 1933, his homeland was far behind him; he had escaped from Russia in 1924. He couldn’t really go back to Europe, either. (Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933.) And what had he come to? He was a ballet choreographer, and almost nobody in the United States could dance ballet. Most Americans didn’t know what a ballet was. He didn’t have a company. He opened a school, but to judge from the photos the young women he was able to collect were mostly rather plump and bewildered. When he set out to make a ballet on them—“Serenade”—seventeen girls came to the first rehearsal, but only nine turned up at the second, and six at the third. So he made the opening tableau—a ravishing sight, people still gasp—for seventeen. Then he made a section for nine, then one for six. When a girl fell, he put that in. When another showed up late, he added that. He made no soloist roles, because he had no one who could handle soloist-level choreography. Then, over the years, he revised and revised the ballet. He added sections. He created a pas de deux.

To quote Mr. Balanchine, “Serenade is a story about hope. If you are young and don’t know anything or have anything, you can change that. If you aren’t beautiful, you can become beautiful.”

Mr. B (that’s what we all called him) was not only a brilliant man but a very generous mentor. I remember when I was 19 I was commissioned to choreograph my first ballet in Orlando, Florida. I wasn’t worried about the choreography side but it was to be played by the local symphony orchestra supporting the Ballet from the Orchestra pit. I had made some choices in the Poulenc score and was afraid the Conductor would not honor them. I was 19 and looked younger, so why would the conductor listen to me?

Mr. B’s advice-“Take the conductor out to dinner and make sure all of your choices are actually his”. Worked like a charm. Still use it to this day.

And now if the ladies are ready… On with the show!

Hartford, CT: A Debut Performance

Hartford, CT: A Debut Performance

The New England Ballet Collective (NEBC) was founded in August of 2019 and this past Friday, November 22^nd, had a debut celebration performance in Hartford, CT, at the Wadsworth Atheneum Theatre. In ballet history, this venue has special gravitas as it was where George Balanchine’s elegiac ballet, “Serenade” had its premiere in 1934. My description of that propitious event follows this intro.

As for news of 2019, I am proud to be part of this debut performance as the only male choreographer to be included on the program. This collective of talented and dedicated women has done an amazing job in a short amount of time, and I was honored that Rachael Gnatowski asked me to participate.

I think it’s safe for me to say that Rachael and company have embarked on an artistic endeavor that will meet with continued and significant success. While working with them, their tenacity and intelligence became evident, and their choices of repertoire will no doubt continue to be compelling. Brava to all for keeping the legacy of Hartford and this theatre intact.

Forbidden Broadway a must see in NYC

From The HAT

Forbidden Broadway is back, with The Next Generation being presented at The Triad on West 72^nd.  It has received a warm welcome back and for good reason—it remains a nimble tribute to the ingredients that make the theatre worthwhile and/or entertaining.  While the shows that are served up may not always be stellar or significant, they all have something to offer and this cast gives them their due. There are moments that can be categorized as brilliant, hysterical, virtuosic and mostly well done. With a cast of diverse talents led by the piano wizardry of Fred Barton, the show flies by without many underdone dishes and with a good dose of snark. Laugh out loud is the order du jour, with no side orders required. Kudos to the continued sagacity of Mr. Alessandrini and his expert whisking. A soufflé of the highest order. 

PARIS DAY 3 and 4

PARIS-DAY 3 & 4

DAY 3

Had a wonderful trip around Paris on The Hop On Hop Off Paris Bus tour. After many visits to Paris, this was a first, and as it was a brilliant day, it was a terrific overview. 90 minutes of the central parts of Paris. The great part is if you like a place then you can stay longer and catch the next bus. If you have a choice take the Red Route, the Blue Route is less interesting in my opinion.

Afterwards we went to a café near the Comedie Francaise on Place Colette, had a campari and soda while listening to a string quartet playing on the square. This is a great plaza for people watching and the occasional entertainment.

NAP

Then off to Coco Rico for a casual dinner. Gotta love every day in Paris.

Note- haven’t watched TV in 5 days. Do read the international papers.

DAY 4

(rainy day and slept late)

So after a traditional coffee and bread breakfast went off to the Musee de la Liberation de Paris. This museum recently moved to the 14^th arrondissement, in time to mark the 75^th anniversary of the liberation of Paris. The exhibition is comprehensive and poignant, filled with pictures, paraphernalia, posters and films. However, it is graphic, so not for the faint of heart. Interestingly the museum is across the street from The Catacombs of Paris.

In relief we walked to and through the Luxembourg Gardens. The gardens date back to the early 17^th century and are the result of Marie de Medici’s fondness for her childhood gardens in Florence. A soothing respite, followed by a bistro supper in St. Germain. All in all, a satisfying day. 

And now a word from THE HAT

Our trip to Paris was determined in August when we were able to get a time slot for the Leonardo da Vinci retrospective at the Louvre, which opened on Oct 24.

If we could find reasonable fares and hotel to correspond to our Louvre reservation, which was for the 25^th, we would go. It turned out to be a good time for those constraints, so we arrived Thursday morning, dropped off our bags at our hotel then visited the Epicerie Bon Marche, which is always on the must visit list.  Walked to Place St Sulpice, brilliant on this sunny morning, and had a coffee and croque monsieur at the Café de la Mairie. In the evening we had a charcuterie board at a café, finished up with some Calvados, took a walk along the Seine, and crashed.

October 25^th was the big day and it was a relief to see the long blue carpet, waiting and empty, for quick access into the Louvre, especially after seeing the mobs of people waiting to get in. The exhibit itself was thoughtfully designed to walk you through Leonardo’s life, with works by his teacher Verrocchio to show the trajectory. I especially liked the tiny, maybe 3×3 inch da Vinci drawings they had matted and framed. To see his process is always extraordinary. Two of his notebooks were on display, lent by the Queen Elizabeth II for this exhibit.

The Met Museum of NYC had an exhibit in 2003 of his notebooks, which I had attended several times and that, too, was fantastic. We then went to the nearby Palais Royal gardens, which are usually and wonderfully underpopulated, and sat by the round fountain to unwind in the slightly foggy but mild afternoon. This peaceful enclave is often overlooked or missed, but is definitely worth seeing. The perfect rows of trees, the still lush gardens and the falling leaves combined with the gentle weather make one realize that October is an ideal time to visit Paris. 

New England Ballet Collective

About

A night of premiers by choreographers, Nicole Caruana, Christopher Fleming, Sarah Grace, Rachael Gnatowski, Michelle Thompson Ulerich, and Jasmine Urban!

OFF TO PARIS

 OFF TO PARIS – 10/23/19 – THE TRAVELING BALLETMASTER AND THE HAT

Wow- it was 7-hour flight from JFK in New York But due to Delta and Air France collaboration the security check in became ridiculous. The Hat and I always only carry on our bags. In this case it might have been better to have had checked luggage.

Allow me to explain… We were early to arrive at the Airport (Always a good move for International Flights, if you can) We went thru the huge 45-minute security line. After arriving we were informed that we were at the wrong gate. No curtsey was afforded us just directions. To another gate and another 45-minute security line. The Hat loves Paris so I was staying as calm as possible.

The 71/2 hour flight was on time and relatively smooth. I always enjoy watching the In-flight media but at 6’1” it seems like the coach seats are getting closer together.

GOOD NEWS- Our flight was to ORLY Airport, which is closer to Paris than the Charles de Gaulle Airport. If you can fly into ORLY it is easier and quicker into Paris,

MORE to come -about arriving at our great Hotel, which looks out over the Seine River and the Louvre. (One of Paris’ greatest museums)